Adjustable stop for swingable floodlights

ABSTRACT

An arm structure that mounts a floodlight swings back and forth over a stop plate and collides with an abutment thereon that defines the operative position of the floodlight. The abutment is adjustable to different arm stopping positions along a curved edge of the plate.

United States Patent lnventor Donald S. llenning Thiensville, Wis.

June 6, 1968 May 4, 1971 Phoenix Products Company, Inc. Milwaukee, Wis.

Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee ADJUSTABLE STOP FOR SWINGABLE FLOODLIGHTS 7 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 240/3, 240/52, 248/289 Int. Cl F2lp 1/00 Field of Search 240/3, 52; 248/289 References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 10/191 1 Miller 248/289 4/ 1949 May 240/52UX 9/ 1953 Passman.... 240/52X 12/ 1954 Wale 240/52X l/l960 Levine et a1. 240/52X Primary Examiner-Samuel S. Matthews Assistant ExaminerMichael D. Harris At!0rneylra Milton Jones ABSTRACT: An arm structure that mounts a floodlight swings back and forth over a stop plate and collides with an abutment thereon that defines the operative position of the floodlight. The abutment is adjustable to different arm stopping positions along a curved edge of the plate.

PATENTEU MAY 4 IHH SHEET 2 OF 2 anoi 5.1?-

ADJUSTABLE STOP FOR SWKNGABLE FLOODLIGHTS This invention relates to floodlights and has more particular reference to floodlight assemblies of the swinging arm type that are used at the loading docks of freight terminals and the like to illuminate the interiors of cargo carriers such as trailers or railway cars during loading or unloading of the same.

It is customary to mount such floodlights inside terminal buildings, on walls or columns thereof alongside the large door openings through which freight is loaded into cargo carriers or unloaded therefrom. In use, the lights are swung partly out a through the door openings and adjusted to direct their beams swingable arm type of floodlight such as described above,

novel adjustable means that will arrest bodily swinging motion of the light toward a door opening at an effective but safeoperating position where it will not be endangered by closure of the door. I

More particularly, it is a purpose of this invention to provide a novel readily adjustable stop mechanism for the arm structure of a swingable floodlight by which the extent of bodily swinging motion of the arm structure toward its operative position can be accurately determined regardless of whether the light assembly is mounted on the inner surface of a wall having the door opening therein, or upon the surface of a column normal to said wall surface.

With these observations and objects in mind, the manner in which the invention achieves its purpose will be appreciated from the following description and the accompanying drawings. This disclosure is intended merely to exemplify the invention. The invention is not limited to the particular structure disclosed, and changes can be made therein which lie within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the invention.

The drawings illustrate one example of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a swinging arm type of floodlight assembly that embodies this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the stop mechanism at this invention at an enlarged scale;

. FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to FIG. 2 but viewing the stop mechanism from a different angle, and

FIGS. 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views illustrating how the stop mechanism of this invention can be made to function regardless of whether the lamp assembly is mounted on a supporting surface parallel to or normal to an adjacent door openmg.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, the numeral generally designates the arm structure by which a floodlight 11 can be held in an operative position projecting its beam through a door opening 12 (FlGS. 4 and 5) and into the interior of a cargo carrier (not shown) that is to be loaded or unloaded.

The arm structure is part of a lamp assembly that includes the floodlight 11, a substantially flat mounting bracket 13 by which the assembly can be secured to the surface of a wall or column alongside the door opening 12, and stop mechanism 14 carried by the mounting bracket to limit bodily swinging motion of the arm structure toward the door opening.

The arm structure comprises a rigid arm 15 having its inner end pivotally supported on a pin 16 passing downwardly through the arm and through suitable apertures in a pair of upper and lower ears 17 struck out of the flat stock of the mounting bracket 13. The arm overlies the uppermost ear 17 and can be held from direct contact therewith by a thrust washer 18 on the pin 16. An angle brace 19 secured to the underside of the arm extends downwardly and rearwardly therefrom to have a foot 20 thereon overlie the lower ear 17 Another thrust washer 21 can be interposed between the foot and the lower ear 17. The pivot pin 16, which also extends through the foot 20 on the brace and the thrust washer thereunder, is held in place by a nut 22 threaded on its extremity, beneath the lower ear 17.

If desired, the floodlight 11 can be mounted on the outer end of the arm 15 as indicated in FIGS. 4 and 5, as by having its bail 23 pivotally connected to the arm by a bolt 24. FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, however, show the floodlight pivotally connected to the outer end of an extension provided by a second arm 25 which in turn is pivotally connected at its inner end with the outer end of the arm 15, by a bolt 26.

' Regardless of whether the arm structure is comprised of a single arm 15 or a pair of articulated arms 15 and 25, bodily swinging motion of the arm structure toward an operative position of the floodlight can be arrested by the same stop mechanism 14, which when properly adjusted, assures that the floodlight will not be swung beyond a safe position just inside the door opening 12. (See FIGS. 4 and 5.)

The stop mechanism 14 comprises a stop plate 28 which is mounted on the pivot pin 16 of the mounting bracket, and an abutment 29 which is adapted to be releasably fixed to the plate in different positions of adjustment relative thereto.

The stop plate 28 is more or less in the form of a quadrant, having two substantially straight side edges at right angles to one another, and an arcuate edge 31 which is concentric to the axis of the pivot pin 16. One straight edge 32 of the plate is contiguous to the flat front surface of the mounting bracket 13 7 so as to hold the plate against rotary motion on the pivot pin 16. It will also be noted that the edge 32 is cooperable with the bracket to prevent rotation of the stop plate in either of two positions it may occupy on the pivot pin 16, namely, with its remaining straight edge 33 disposed either to the right or to the left of the pin axis. FIG. 5 shows one such position of the stop plate at which its edge 33 is disposed to the right of the pivot pin axis. FIG. 4 shows the opposite condition wherein the stop plate is assembled to the pivot pin with its straight edge 33 at the other side of the pin axis.

The reversibility of the stop plate 28 is important in that it allows the stop abutment 29 to be properly positioned at either side of the door opening 12 regardless of whether the mounting bracket 13 is flatwise secured to the inner surface of a wall 34 having the door opening 12 therein or whether it is secured to the flange of a column 35 with the bracket lying in a plane normal to the wall 34.

The stop abutment-29 is located outwardly of the arcuate edge 31 of the stop plate, where is is secured to the outer end portion of a bar 37 that is disposed flatwise under the stop plate 28 with its inner end pivotally mounted on the pin 16. The abutment can be in the form of a bolt 38 that projects upwardly through a hole in the outer end portion of the arm 37, and has a rubber tube 39 telescoped over its shank. This provides a cushioned stop lying in the path of pivotal motion of the arm 15, to limit-swinging movement thereof in one direction.

The bar 37, with the stop thereon, can be held in any desired angular position on the pivot pin 16 as by means of a clamping device here illustrated as a second bar 40 which flatwise overlies the stop plate 28 and similarly has its inner end portion pivotally mounted on the pin 16. The bolt 38 passes upwardly through the outer end portion of the upper bar 40 and a nut 41 threaded on the bolt serves to releasably but clampingly anchor the two bars tightly to the stop plate.

It will thus be seen that the stop abutment 29 can be positioned anywhere along the arcuate edge 31 of the stop plate, to limit bodily swinging motion of the arm structure 10 in the direction toward the door opening through which the floodlight is to cast its beam.

With the construction of the stop mechanism described, a tubular spacer 43 is telescoped over the pivot pin and lengthwise confined between the top of the foot 20 on the brace 19 and the underside of the lower bar 37 to hold the stop plate 28 and the stop abutment 29 in proper relation to the arm 15.

in the event the arm structure is comprised of a pair of articulated arms and 25, as seen in FIGS. l 3. the stop abutment can be adjusted to a proper position preventing the floodlight from being swung past a safe position inside the door opening [2, either by bodily swinging of the arm structure about the pivot pin 16 or by swinging of both arms on their respective pivots.

From the foregoing description, together with the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent that this invention provides the solution to a problem which has been particularly annoying and costly in the past.

lclaim:

1. An adjustable floodlight assembly, comprising:

A. structure providing a mounting bracket;

B. and arm structure having a floodlight on one end;

C. a pivot pin carried by the bracket and upon which the arm structure is supported for bodily swinging motion in opposite directions to different angular positions relative to the bracket;

D. and stop means mounted on said pivot pin for angular adjusting motion about the axis thereof, and engageable by the arm structure to preclude bodily swinging motion of the arm structure in one of said directions beyond a position determined by the setting of said stop means.

2. The adjustable floodlight assembly of claim 1, further characterized by:

A. a plate mounted on the pivot pin with one edge in engagement with the bracket to preclude rotary motion of the plate relative to the bracket, and in position to have one face thereof swept by said other portion of the arm structure during said bodily swinging motion of the arm structure;

B. cooperating means on the bracket and the pin holding the plate against movement axially of the pin away from said other end of the arm structure; and

C. said stop means being releasably clamped to said plate.

3. The adjustable floodlight assembly of claim 2, further characterized by:

A. said plate having an arcuate edge concentric to the axis of the pivot pin;

B. said stop means comprising an abutment which is movable along said arcuate edge of the plate during the angular adjustment of the stop means on the pivot pin.

4. The adjustable floodlight assembly of claim 3, further characterized by:

A. said stop means including a pair of flat bars at opposite sides of said plate, each such arm having one end pivotally mounted on the pivot pin and its other end extending outwardly therefrom beyond said arcuate edge of the plate;

B. said extending ends of the arms being bolted together to releasably clamp the arms to the plate;

C. and the bolt clamping said arms to the plate comprising a stop abutment with which said arm structure collides to limit bodily swinging motion thereof.

5. The adjustable floodlight assembly of claim 4, further including a sleeve of resilient material on said bolt, to cushion the impact of the arm structure thereagainst.

5. The adjustable floodlight assembly of claim 5, wherein said plate is in the form of a quadrant so as to be applicable to the pivot pin in either of two positions, in each of which a straight edge of the plate engages the bracket to prevent rotary movement of the plate relative thereto, while the arcuate edge of the plate extends toward a different side of the axis of the pivot pin.

7. An adjustable floodlight assembly, comprising:

A. structure providing a mounting bracket;

B. an arm structure having a floodlight on one end; C. cooperating pivotal support means on the bracket and the other end of the arm structure supporting the latter from the bracket for bodily swinging motion in opposite directions to different angular positions relative to the bracket;

D. adjustable stop means carried by the bracket and engageable by the arm structure to preclude bodily swinging motion of the arm structure in one of said directions beyond a position determinedv in accordance with the setting of said stop means:

E. a plate carried by the bracket alongside said other end of the arm structure;

F. and means to releasably clamp the stop means to said plate in any of a number of different positions of adjustment relative to the bracket. 

1. An adjustable floodlight assembly, comprising: A. structure providing a mounting bracket; B. and arm structure having a floodlight on one end; C. a pivot pin carried by the bracket and upon which the arm structure is supported for bodily swinging motion in opposite directions to different angular positions relative to the bracket; D. and stop means mounted on said pivot pin for angular adjusting motion about the axis thereof, and engageable by the arm structure to preclude bodily swinging motion of the arm structure in one of said directions beyond a position determined by the setting of said stop means.
 2. The adjustable floodlight assembly of claim 1, further characterized by: A. a plate mounted on the pivot pin with one edge in engagement with the bracket to preclude rotary motion of the plate relative to the bracket, and in position to have one face thereof swept by said other portion of the arm structure during said bodily swinging motion of the arm structure; B. cooperating means on the bracket and the pin holding the plate against movement axially of the pin away from said other end of the arm structure; and C. said stop means being releasably clamped to said plate.
 3. The adjustable floodlight assembly of claim 2, further characterized by: A. said plate having an arcuate edge concentric to the axis of the pivot pin; B. said stop means comprising an abutment which is movable along said arcuate edge of the plate during the angular adjustment of the stop means on the pivot pin.
 4. The adjustable floodlight assembly of claim 3, further characterized by: A. said stop means including a pair of flat bars at opposite sides of said plate, each such arm having one end pivotally mounted on the pivot pin and its other end extending outwardly therefrom beyond said arcuate edge of the plate; B. said extending ends of the arms being bolted together to releasably clamp the arms to the plate; C. and the Bolt clamping said arms to the plate comprising a stop abutment with which said arm structure collides to limit bodily swinging motion thereof.
 5. The adjustable floodlight assembly of claim 5, wherein said plate is in the form of a quadrant so as to be applicable to the pivot pin in either of two positions, in each of which a straight edge of the plate engages the bracket to prevent rotary movement of the plate relative thereto, while the arcuate edge of the plate extends toward a different side of the axis of the pivot pin.
 5. The adjustable floodlight assembly of claim 4, further including a sleeve of resilient material on said bolt, to cushion the impact of the arm structure thereagainst.
 7. An adjustable floodlight assembly, comprising: A. structure providing a mounting bracket; B. an arm structure having a floodlight on one end; C. cooperating pivotal support means on the bracket and the other end of the arm structure supporting the latter from the bracket for bodily swinging motion in opposite directions to different angular positions relative to the bracket; D. adjustable stop means carried by the bracket and engageable by the arm structure to preclude bodily swinging motion of the arm structure in one of said directions beyond a position determined in accordance with the setting of said stop means: E. a plate carried by the bracket alongside said other end of the arm structure; F. and means to releasably clamp the stop means to said plate in any of a number of different positions of adjustment relative to the bracket. 